Bathroom Sustainability Guide
You begin and end your day in the bathroom, so why not implement sustainable, eco-friendly practices here, too? Our Bathroom Sustainability Guide offers practical suggestions for incorporating environmentally friendly products and practices into your daily routine. From choosing the right bath towels to making smart product swaps, discover how to make conscious choices without compromising style or comfort.
How to Choose Sustainable, High-Quality Towels
Whether replacing old linens or outfitting a new guest bath, when it’s time to buy new towels, make the sustainable choice by prioritizing eco-friendly, natural materials and certifications that indicate practices that aren’t harmful to the environment now—or in the future.
Know Which Sustainable Towel Materials to Look For
We offer eco-friendly bath towels made from sustainable, natural materials. When choosing towels, look for the following materials to go green:
- Supima® Cotton is farmed in the southwestern USA using state-of-the-art technology to ensure it has as little impact on the environment as possible.
- Micro Cotton® is a luxury cotton brand that uses clean technologies and follows best practices to minimize environmental impact.
- Certified Organic Cotton is grown without pesticides, herbicides, or other artificial chemicals.
- TENCEL™ Lyocell is derived from sustainably sourced wood pulp and produced using environmentally responsible processes for eco-friendly towels.
- Rayon made from bamboo is produced from rapidly regenerating bamboo, one of the world’s most sustainable materials, and when created using responsible processes is one of the most eco-friendly fibers available.
Eco-friendly Product Certifications
Our bath linens undergo extensive third-party testing to ensure they meet the highest environmental and ethical standards. Look for the OEKO-TEX® and GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) labels to determine whether your preferred product is a green choice. OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 indicates that the product is free from more than 1,000 harmful substances, and the GOTS certification ensures environmentally and socially responsible practices throughout the textile supply chain.
Air-Dry Bath Linens Between Uses
The best way to dry bath towels between uses is to hang them on a bar—not a hook, which doesn’t allow adequate airflow to dry evenly. Air-drying bath towels between uses, rather than washing and drying them every time, is the sustainable choice as it reduces the frequency of laundry loads, minimizing water and energy use. And, without the harsh agitation of the dryer, towels will last longer and need to be replaced less frequently. For best results, balance sustainability and hygiene; we recommend washing bath towels every three to four uses. You can dry bath towels on a line after laundering them to keep the eco-friendly practice going. .
Make Sustainable Bathroom Swaps
Start small when making your bathroom more sustainable. One of the key principles of sustainability is minimizing waste, so don’t trash all your linens in favor of newer, more eco-friendly options. Instead, only buy new bath towels as old ones wear out or need replacing. When it’s time to stock up, consider these sustainable swaps to create an eco-friendlier space:
- Use washcloths to clean your body instead of plastic poufs or loofahs. A washcloth is more sustainable and hygienic, as it can be laundered between uses to prevent the build-up of potentially harmful bacteria.
- Swap single-use makeup remover wipes for black or brown washcloths that easily hide mascara and other makeup stains.
- Consider eco-friendly toiletries and options that reduce the use of disposable materials—think bar soap instead of soap in a bottle, toilet paper made from renewable bamboo, or a stainless-steel safety razor instead of disposable designs.
- Use natural and non-toxic cleaners to clean the bathroom and to launder your bath linens. Non-toxic and natural products are less harsh on the environment and your towels, which will help linens last longer.
Reducing Waste: What to Do with Old Bath Linens
If your towels become less absorbent, stiffer than you’d like, or start to fray or get holes, that doesn’t mean they belong in the trash. Reuse old bath linens as cleaning rags, save them for painting cloths, or donate them to an animal rescue or emergency shelter instead. Giving your bath linens a second life once they’ve served their primary purpose reduces the number of towels that end up in the landfill.
Buying eco-friendly bath towels, hanging your towels to dry, and making sustainable swaps are all easy ways to make your home more environmentally conscious, one step at a time. When you minimize waste and invest in high-quality, long-lasting products, you’ll decrease your environmental footprint—and design a comfortable space that you can feel good about. Explore our Guides for tips on choosing environmentally conscious bedding and other expert insight into equipping your home with the best quality products.